Citation
Evans, Kim Masters. Animal Rights. Ed. John McCoy. New York: Thomson Gale, 2006.
Print. The Information Series on Current Topics.
Author’s credentials
Kim Masters Evans is a Professional Engineer.
Scope and purpose of the work
It is an informational overview of animal rights.
Intended audience
The intended audience would be students or teachers, as the books purpose is for educational use.
Summary: Identify the author’s thesis.
In the section about puppy mills, the author provides information about the harmful effects of large-scale breeding facilities.
What are the main arguments?
Evans includes details about the puppy mill industry in Missouri and it’s downfalls. Furthermore, Evans urges readers to be wary of buying from pet stores and also includes the opinions of various animal welfare groups.
Evidence?
Evans talks in detail about the Missouri puppy mill industry and how much of it is suffering from serious violations. She provides a chart of an actual inspection review to back-up her claims.
Evaluation Evaluation of research
The work is logical, clear, and well-researched.
Evaluation of scope
The topic was focused on the puppy mill industry of Missouri in one section of it. However, other sections went into detail about basic information on puppy mills.
Evaluation of author bias
The information provided by the author is primarily against puppy mills and large-scale breeding.
Reflection Is this source helpful to your research?
I learned that Missouri is the leader of the puppy mill industry. I also learned about various programs that are involved in strictly regulating puppy mills, including the HSUS and the AKC. This supports my argument against puppy mills because it shows that it is a widespread issue and that many people and organizations are involved in it.
Annotated Bibliography 2
Citation Patterson, Charles. "Animals As Companions." Animal Rights. New Jersey: Enslow, 1993. 15-25. Print. Author’s credentials Charles Patterson has written many books for young people. In 1989, he was presented with an award by the National Council for the Social Studies.
Scope and purpose of the work It is an informational book, meant to provide knowledge about unwanted pets as well as pets used in education, entertainment and research.
Intended audience The intended audience is young people and students who are studying this topic.
Summary: Identify the author’s thesis. The author argues that using animals for clothing, food, entertainment, and medical research is wrong. What are the main arguments? The author voices concerns of many animal rights activists. He says that the overpopulation problem is primarily the fault of breeders, puppy mills, pet stores, and people who buy their pets from these sources rather than adopt them. The author also stresses the benefits of spaying and neutering and how it has many health benefits to the pet as well as reduces the population.
Evidence? The author includes many statistics about the population of cats and dogs and references organizations such as the ASPCA and the USDA.
Evaluation Evaluation of research The work is clear, detailed and well researched.
Evaluation of scope The topic of puppy mills as well as overpopulation was very detailed and helpful. I feel that I have learned a lot by reading through these sections.
Evaluation of author bias Patterson is motivated to argue against breeders, pet stores and puppy mills. He supports adopting from shelters as well as spaying and neutering. Reflection This book gave me many useful statistics and other valuable information to use in my project. It also helped me broaden my topic a little more and I realized things I didn’t before about my topic.
Scope and purpose of the work It is an informational overview of the overpopulation problem.
Intended audience As it is available to everyone, it can be used to many different reasons whether it be education or simply informative.
Summary: Identify the author’s thesis. The overpopulation problem has three main contributors: irresponsible breeding, choosing not to adopt, and the idea of “disposable pets.”
What are the main arguments? The main arguments are that the overpopulation problem is primarily caused by ignorance and irresponsible breeding. Puppy mills are an inhumane way of providing people with pets and only lead to more pets without homes. Also, the article strongly suggests that the best way to overcome these issues is to adopt and spay/neuter our pets.
Evidence The author references real world examples and provides the reader with statistics to aid them in their understanding of how significant the issue is.
Evaluation Evaluation of research The work is logical, clear, and well-researched.
Evaluation of scope The article mainly focused on irresponsible breeding, including puppy mills, as well as the benefits of spaying/neutering.
Evaluation of author bias The information provided by the author is primarily against puppy mills and irresponsible breeding.
Reflection Is this source helpful to your research? I learned a few new things about why people don’t adopt more often, and also added new statistics to what I already knew.
Annotated Bibliography 4
Citation Whitcomb, Rachael. "Understanding pet overpopulation: some argue it's a distribution problem; shelters say we're still killing adoptable animals." DVM Newsmagazine Apr. 2010: 30+. Expanded Academic ASAP. Web. 10 Oct. 2011.
Author’s credentials Rachael Whitcomb is the news editor at the DVM Newsmagazine and has experiences covering topics about animal welfare and veterinary news.
Scope and purpose of the work The purpose of this article is to debate the reasons of pet overpopulation in relation to a shelter’s ability to care for the animals.
Intended audience The intended audience is the general public as it is available on a news site.
Summary: Identify the author’s thesis. The author believes that the key to solving the overpopulation problem is veterinary involvement and awareness.
What are the main arguments? The author states that unrealistic expectations from irresponsible owners is partly the blame: people treat animals as a convenience until it becomes to hard to handle. The author also brings up the issue of available resources to shelters. Shelters with hospitals and behaviorists are more likely to have a higher adoption rate because they can make unadoptable dogs adoptable. Shelters without these resources, however, are less likely to have a high adoption rate. Also, different areas have different demands when it comes to what type of dog people wish to adopt. Because of this, the issue of transporting dogs that are in demand from shelter to shelter also arises. The author also brings up the debate between no-kill shelters and shelters that euthanize. The author argues that no-kill shelters are a “misguided attempts to save more lives” when it reality, it causes more overcrowding and as a result, more disease and unhappy dogs.
Evidence? The author quotes Betsy Saul, the co-founder of Petfinder.com, Dr. Lila Miller, vice-president of veterinary outreach and veterinary adviser to the ASPCA, and Dr. Jeanette O'Quin, president of the Association of Shelter Veterinarians.
Evaluation Evaluation of research The research is well rounded as it includes differing opinions from multiple sources.
Evaluation of scope The article discussed various ways to solve the overpopulation problem and their pro’s and con’s.
Evaluation of author bias The information is unbiased. The author provides an objective view as she supplies the reader with various viewpoints.
Reflection Is this source helpful to your research? This source was helpful to my research as it shed a different light to the topics I am researching. It provided me with different opinions and exposed me to different issues that come with the solutions that are being suggested by many people.
Author’s credentials Ed Boks is the executive director of Animal Care and Control in NYC.
Scope and purpose of the work The purpose of the article is to urge the idea that spay/neutering is the best solution to the overpopulation problem.
Intended audience The intended audience is the general public as it was available in USA Today
Summary: Identify the author’s thesis.
The author believes that the way to overcome the overpopulation crisis is to educate people and promote spay/neutering. He strongly urges people to be proactive instead of taking the cheapest route to dealing with dogs.
What are the main arguments?
The main arguments are that spaying/neutering, as well as treating sick dogs is the best way to overcome the problem. The author argues that people need to be educated and proactive.
Evidence?
The author has positive statistics showing that spaying/neutering is a very effective solution. He also references multiple organizations that he is involved in that are promoting a proactive, informative stand on the overpopulation issue.
Evaluation Evaluation of research
The research is focused and adequately defended with relevant statistics and facts.
Evaluation of scope
The article discussed the benefits of being proactive and spreading awareness to people rather than resorting to the cheapest/quickest ways to deal with a sick or unadoptable dog and as a result, overcome the overpopulation problem.
Evaluation of author bias
The information is biased as the author strongly leans toward spaying/neutering and is against no-kill shelters.
Reflection Is this source helpful to your research?
This source was helpful to my research because it showed many real world examples of how spaying/neutering contributes to reducing the overpopulation rate.
Author’s credentials This article was available on the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) website. PETA is the largest animal rights organization in the world.
Scope and purpose of the work It is an informational and persuasive article, urging the reader to spay/neuter their cat or dog. It provides valid reasoning (overpopulation, disease prevention) to spay/neuter and also gives a list of states who have spay/neuter laws.
Intended audience The intended audience is anyone looking for information about spaying/neutering.
Summary: Identify the author’s thesis Any pet owner should spay/neuter their cat or dog because it helps to decrease the overpopulation and prevents disease.
What are the main arguments? Spaying prevents stress and discomfort in females as well as lowers their risk of contracting uterine or mammary cancer. Neutering makes males fight and roam much less, as well as lowers the risk of testicular and prostate cancer.
Evidence? One unspayed female dog and her offspring can produce 67,000 puppies in six years. One female cat and her offspring can produce 420,000 kittens in seven years.Neutered males are less likely to roam, fight, or mark their territory. Spayed females experience less hormone-related moodiness.
Evaluation Evaluation of research The work is logical, clear, and well-researched. There is also a question and answer section that provides additional information.
Evaluation of scope The topic was focused the benefits of spaying/neutering for both the owner and the pet.
Evaluation of author bias The information provided by the author is pro-spaying/neutering. They adamantly reject all reasons to not spay/neuter a pet.
Reflection Is this source helpful to your research? This source is helpful to my research because it provided with me details that show me how detrimental not spaying/neutering is to the overpopulation issue. Also, it includes a list of states and communities that have spay/neuter laws.
Annotated Bibliography 7
Citation Vaughn, Jacqueline. "The Shelter Charade: The Dilemmas of Urban Animal Control." State & Local Government Review 10.3 (1978): 87-91. JSTOR. Web. 18 Oct. 2011. <http://www.jstor.org/stable/4354629>.
Author’s credentials Jacqueline Vaughn writes for the State & Local Government Review.
Scope and purpose of the work It is an informational article that attempts to expose the reader to the truths about shelters and how they operate.
Intended audience The intended audience is anyone looking for information concerning shelters.
Summary: Identify the author’s thesis The author focuses on the dilemmas facing state and local officials and how they deal with animal control problems of an urban environment.
What are the main arguments? Neglect, indifference and low resources make the most severe impact on animal control. The author also compares the intentions of private versus public shelters as well as their financial restraints and other setbacks they both face.
Evidence? The author proposes the idea that animal adoption rates are controlled by supply and demand. Although the animal population heavily outweighs the human population, less dogs are being adopted. The author also says that spaying/neutering is a good solution. However, it needs to happen before the dogs reach 3 years of age. 75-80% of all female dogs must be neutered before they turn three. However, this program would be extremely costly as each surgery costs about $35-50. There is a cycle that goes through the public and private adoption agencies. Public agencies have a very low threshold as well as low financial resources. So, more dog owners relinquish their dogs to private facilities. However, this puts a burden on the private facility, which may force them to lower their threshold.
Evaluation Evaluation of research The work goes through the pros and cons of private and public agencies. It also looks at weighs the disadvantages of many other suggested solutions against their advantages.
Evaluation of scope The topic was focused on comparing private versus public adoption facilities and their available resources.
Evaluation of author bias The information provided by the author is biased. Vaughn believes that the answer to the overpopulation problem is to have stricter laws. She thinks that there is not enough supervision on most adoption facilities, and believes that the conditions of such facilities should be monitored. She also stresses that awareness is key.
Reflection Is this source helpful to your research? This source is helpful to my research because it provided with me with another view of shelters and how even they are contributing to the overpopulation issue.
Annotated Bibliography 8Citation
Spears, Brian. "Pet overpopulation: the problem multiplies." E: theEnvironmental Magazine 6 (Sept.-Oct. 1995): 32. Wilson OmniFile Full TextMega Edition. Web. 24 Oct. 2011. <http://vnweb.hwwilsonweb.com/hww/results/getResults.jhtml?_DARGS=/hww/results/results_common.jhtml.35>
Author’s credentials Brian Spears has written multiple articles for E: the Environmental Magazine.
Scope and purpose of the work The purpose of the work is to argue that the lack of sterilization of pets is the primary reason for overpopulation.
Intended audience The intended audience would be anyone interested in animal welfare, as it is featured in a environmental journal.
Summary: Identify the author’s thesis. The author believes that sterilizing pets is the key to beating overpopulation.
What are the main arguments? His first argument is that most pet owners have a “commitment issue,” meaning that they won’t sterilize their pets because they see them as disposable. The author also argues that it is important that laws are enforced. He includes that thirteen states have already made sterilization mandatory.
Evidence? Arizona, Florida, Illinois, Louisiana, Missouri, North Dakota, Oklahoma and Texas are 8 states out of the 13 that make it a violation not to spay/neuter dogs/cats adopted out of a shelter. Over 3,000 shelters are filled to capacity. 25-35% of shelters animals are adopted out, over 50% are euthanized.
Evaluation Evaluation of research The work is logical, clear, and well-researched.
Evaluation of scope The topic was focused on arguing that sterilization, conscious pet owners, and strict laws are key to overcoming overpopulation.
Evaluation of author bias The information provided by the author was pro-sterilization.
Reflection Is this source helpful to your research?
This source was helpful to my research because it gave me a perspective of how many animals are adopted and euthanized each year. It also provided me with information pertaining to which states make it mandatory to spay/neuter a cat/dog after it is adopted.
Author’s credentials The author seems to be very knowledgeable about the various sub-topics of animal welfare, overpopulation and rights.
Scope and purpose of the work It is an informational overview of animal companionship, population, adoption, euthanization, and laws.
Intended audience The intended audience would be students or teachers, as the purpose is to be informative about the aforementioned topics.
Summary: Identify the author’s thesis. “Nearly six out of 10 U.S. households own a pet, and while cats and dogs are still the most popular animal companions… animal shelters still euthanize millions of “throw-away” pets each year. Meanwhile, local officials are worried about controlling vicious dogs…”
What are the main arguments? The main arguments are that many pet sales are due to impulse buys because many consumers underestimate the time and effort it takes to raise an animal. The author also mentions a few reasons that dogs/cats get euthanized, including temperament. However, she stresses that the dogs aren’t the ones who are “vicious,” but it’s the owners who make them that way.
Evidence? Cooper cites multiple sources including the ASPCA, the AKC, multiple other articles, authors, veterinarians, case studies and includes many real-world examples that relate to the topic.
Evaluation Evaluation of research The work is logical, clear, and in depth.
Evaluation of scope As it is a lengthy article, there wasn’t a single focus. The article spread from spay/neuter campaigns, to show dogs, to the debate over dangerous dogs.
Evaluation of author bias The author was pro-consumer education, and primarily pro-animal rights. However, she argued for the rights of breeders that are not simply breeding for profit.
Reflection Is this source helpful to your research? This source was extremely helpful as it provided many real-world examples, valuable refrences and many statistics that will be useful in my presentation.
Author’s credentials The author seems to be very knowledgeable about the various sub-topics of animal welfare, overpopulation and rights.
Scope and purpose of the work It is a section of the article focused on spay-neuter and adoption campaigns.
Intended audience The intended audience would be students or teachers, as the purpose is to be informative about the aforementioned topics.
Summary: Identify the author’s thesis. Animal welfare groups strongly advise pet owners to neuter animals before they reproduce. Adoption campaigns also seem to be bringing positive results.
What are the main arguments? Spaying and neutering creates less animals, thus allowing more homes for the animals that are available today. The number of animals that are euthanized has decreased by half over the past two decades.
Evidence? Neutering brings on a positive behavior change. Many cities provide the incentive of cheap licensing for neutered pets.
Successful adoption campaigns are due to consumer education efforts, responsible ownership, spaying and neutering effots, and aggressive adoption policies.
Evaluation Evaluation of research The work is logical, clear, and in depth.
Evaluation of scope This section of the article was focused on the benefits that can be gained from adopting and spaying/neutering.
Evaluation of author bias
The author was pro-consumer education, and primarily pro-animal rights. However, she argued for the rights of breeders that are not simply breeding for profit.
Reflection Is this source helpful to your research? This source was extremely helpful as it provided many real-world examples, valuable refrences and many statistics that will be useful in my presentation.
Annotated Bibliography 1
CitationEvans, Kim Masters. Animal Rights. Ed. John McCoy. New York: Thomson Gale, 2006.
Print. The Information Series on Current Topics.
Author’s credentials
Kim Masters Evans is a Professional Engineer.
Scope and purpose of the work
It is an informational overview of animal rights.
Intended audience
The intended audience would be students or teachers, as the books purpose is for educational use.
Summary:
Identify the author’s thesis.
In the section about puppy mills, the author provides information about the harmful effects of large-scale breeding facilities.
What are the main arguments?
Evans includes details about the puppy mill industry in Missouri and it’s downfalls. Furthermore, Evans urges readers to be wary of buying from pet stores and also includes the opinions of various animal welfare groups.
Evidence?
Evans talks in detail about the Missouri puppy mill industry and how much of it is suffering from serious violations. She provides a chart of an actual inspection review to back-up her claims.
Evaluation
Evaluation of research
The work is logical, clear, and well-researched.
Evaluation of scope
The topic was focused on the puppy mill industry of Missouri in one section of it. However, other sections went into detail about basic information on puppy mills.
Evaluation of author bias
The information provided by the author is primarily against puppy mills and large-scale breeding.
Reflection
Is this source helpful to your research?
I learned that Missouri is the leader of the puppy mill industry. I also learned about various programs that are involved in strictly regulating puppy mills, including the HSUS and the AKC. This supports my argument against puppy mills because it shows that it is a widespread issue and that many people and organizations are involved in it.
Annotated Bibliography 2
CitationPatterson, Charles. "Animals As Companions." Animal Rights. New Jersey: Enslow, 1993. 15-25. Print.
Author’s credentials
Charles Patterson has written many books for young people. In 1989, he was presented with an award by the National Council for the Social Studies.
Scope and purpose of the work
It is an informational book, meant to provide knowledge about unwanted pets as well as pets used in education, entertainment and research.
Intended audience
The intended audience is young people and students who are studying this topic.
Summary:
Identify the author’s thesis.
The author argues that using animals for clothing, food, entertainment, and medical research is wrong.
What are the main arguments?
The author voices concerns of many animal rights activists. He says that the overpopulation problem is primarily the fault of breeders, puppy mills, pet stores, and people who buy their pets from these sources rather than adopt them. The author also stresses the benefits of spaying and neutering and how it has many health benefits to the pet as well as reduces the population.
Evidence?
The author includes many statistics about the population of cats and dogs and references organizations such as the ASPCA and the USDA.
Evaluation
Evaluation of research
The work is clear, detailed and well researched.
Evaluation of scope
The topic of puppy mills as well as overpopulation was very detailed and helpful. I feel that I have learned a lot by reading through these sections.
Evaluation of author bias
Patterson is motivated to argue against breeders, pet stores and puppy mills. He supports adopting from shelters as well as spaying and neutering.
Reflection
This book gave me many useful statistics and other valuable information to use in my project. It also helped me broaden my topic a little more and I realized things I didn’t before about my topic.
Annotated Bibliography 3
CitationAmerican Humane Association. "Pet Overpopulation." American Humane Association.American Humane Assn., 2011. Web. 4 Oct. 2011.<http://www.americanhumane.org/animals/adoption-pet-care/issues-information/pet-overpopulation.html>.
Author’s credentials
Author N/A
Scope and purpose of the work
It is an informational overview of the overpopulation problem.
Intended audience
As it is available to everyone, it can be used to many different reasons whether it be education or simply informative.
Summary:
Identify the author’s thesis.
The overpopulation problem has three main contributors: irresponsible breeding, choosing not to adopt, and the idea of “disposable pets.”
What are the main arguments?
The main arguments are that the overpopulation problem is primarily caused by ignorance and irresponsible breeding. Puppy mills are an inhumane way of providing people with pets and only lead to more pets without homes. Also, the article strongly suggests that the best way to overcome these issues is to adopt and spay/neuter our pets.
Evidence
The author references real world examples and provides the reader with statistics to aid them in their understanding of how significant the issue is.
Evaluation
Evaluation of research
The work is logical, clear, and well-researched.
Evaluation of scope
The article mainly focused on irresponsible breeding, including puppy mills, as well as the benefits of spaying/neutering.
Evaluation of author bias
The information provided by the author is primarily against puppy mills and irresponsible breeding.
Reflection
Is this source helpful to your research?
I learned a few new things about why people don’t adopt more often, and also added new statistics to what I already knew.
Annotated Bibliography 4
CitationWhitcomb, Rachael. "Understanding pet overpopulation: some argue it's a distribution problem; shelters say we're still killing adoptable animals." DVM Newsmagazine Apr. 2010: 30+. Expanded Academic ASAP. Web. 10 Oct. 2011.
Author’s credentials
Rachael Whitcomb is the news editor at the DVM Newsmagazine and has experiences covering topics about animal welfare and veterinary news.
Scope and purpose of the work
The purpose of this article is to debate the reasons of pet overpopulation in relation to a shelter’s ability to care for the animals.
Intended audience
The intended audience is the general public as it is available on a news site.
Summary:
Identify the author’s thesis.
The author believes that the key to solving the overpopulation problem is veterinary involvement and awareness.
What are the main arguments?
The author states that unrealistic expectations from irresponsible owners is partly the blame: people treat animals as a convenience until it becomes to hard to handle. The author also brings up the issue of available resources to shelters. Shelters with hospitals and behaviorists are more likely to have a higher adoption rate because they can make unadoptable dogs adoptable. Shelters without these resources, however, are less likely to have a high adoption rate. Also, different areas have different demands when it comes to what type of dog people wish to adopt. Because of this, the issue of transporting dogs that are in demand from shelter to shelter also arises. The author also brings up the debate between no-kill shelters and shelters that euthanize. The author argues that no-kill shelters are a “misguided attempts to save more lives” when it reality, it causes more overcrowding and as a result, more disease and unhappy dogs.
Evidence?
The author quotes Betsy Saul, the co-founder of Petfinder.com, Dr. Lila Miller, vice-president of veterinary outreach and veterinary adviser to the ASPCA, and Dr. Jeanette O'Quin, president of the Association of Shelter Veterinarians.
Evaluation
Evaluation of research
The research is well rounded as it includes differing opinions from multiple sources.
Evaluation of scope
The article discussed various ways to solve the overpopulation problem and their pro’s and con’s.
Evaluation of author bias
The information is unbiased. The author provides an objective view as she supplies the reader with various viewpoints.
Reflection
Is this source helpful to your research?
This source was helpful to my research as it shed a different light to the topics I am researching. It provided me with different opinions and exposed me to different issues that come with the solutions that are being suggested by many people.
Annotated Bibliography 5
CitationBoks, Ed. "Saving Man's Best Friends." USA Today (2005): n. pag. Wilson OmniFile
Full Text Select Edition. Web. 10 Oct. 2011.
<http://vnweb.hwwilsonweb.com/hww/results/getResults.jhtml?_DARGS=/hww/
results/results_common.jhtml.35>.
Author’s credentials
Ed Boks is the executive director of Animal Care and Control in NYC.
Scope and purpose of the work
The purpose of the article is to urge the idea that spay/neutering is the best solution to the overpopulation problem.
Intended audience
The intended audience is the general public as it was available in USA Today
Summary:
Identify the author’s thesis.
The author believes that the way to overcome the overpopulation crisis is to educate people and promote spay/neutering. He strongly urges people to be proactive instead of taking the cheapest route to dealing with dogs.
What are the main arguments?
The main arguments are that spaying/neutering, as well as treating sick dogs is the best way to overcome the problem. The author argues that people need to be educated and proactive.
Evidence?
The author has positive statistics showing that spaying/neutering is a very effective solution. He also references multiple organizations that he is involved in that are promoting a proactive, informative stand on the overpopulation issue.
Evaluation
Evaluation of research
The research is focused and adequately defended with relevant statistics and facts.
Evaluation of scope
The article discussed the benefits of being proactive and spreading awareness to people rather than resorting to the cheapest/quickest ways to deal with a sick or unadoptable dog and as a result, overcome the overpopulation problem.
Evaluation of author bias
The information is biased as the author strongly leans toward spaying/neutering and is against no-kill shelters.
Reflection
Is this source helpful to your research?
This source was helpful to my research because it showed many real world examples of how spaying/neutering contributes to reducing the overpopulation rate.
Annotated Bibliography 6
CitationPETA. "Spay and Neuter." PETA. N.p., 2011. Web. 14 Oct. 2011.
<http://www.peta.org/issues/Companion-Animals/spay-neuter.aspx>.
Author’s credentials
This article was available on the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) website. PETA is the largest animal rights organization in the world.
Scope and purpose of the work
It is an informational and persuasive article, urging the reader to spay/neuter their cat or dog. It provides valid reasoning (overpopulation, disease prevention) to spay/neuter and also gives a list of states who have spay/neuter laws.
Intended audience
The intended audience is anyone looking for information about spaying/neutering.
Summary:
Identify the author’s thesis
Any pet owner should spay/neuter their cat or dog because it helps to decrease the overpopulation and prevents disease.
What are the main arguments?
Spaying prevents stress and discomfort in females as well as lowers their risk of contracting uterine or mammary cancer. Neutering makes males fight and roam much less, as well as lowers the risk of testicular and prostate cancer.
Evidence?
One unspayed female dog and her offspring can produce 67,000 puppies in six years. One female cat and her offspring can produce 420,000 kittens in seven years.Neutered males are less likely to roam, fight, or mark their territory. Spayed females experience less hormone-related moodiness.
Evaluation
Evaluation of research
The work is logical, clear, and well-researched. There is also a question and answer section that provides additional information.
Evaluation of scope
The topic was focused the benefits of spaying/neutering for both the owner and the pet.
Evaluation of author bias
The information provided by the author is pro-spaying/neutering. They adamantly reject all reasons to not spay/neuter a pet.
Reflection
Is this source helpful to your research?
This source is helpful to my research because it provided with me details that show me how detrimental not spaying/neutering is to the overpopulation issue. Also, it includes a list of states and communities that have spay/neuter laws.
Annotated Bibliography 7
CitationVaughn, Jacqueline. "The Shelter Charade: The Dilemmas of Urban Animal Control."
State & Local Government Review 10.3 (1978): 87-91. JSTOR. Web. 18 Oct.
2011. <http://www.jstor.org/stable/4354629>.
Author’s credentials
Jacqueline Vaughn writes for the State & Local Government Review.
Scope and purpose of the work
It is an informational article that attempts to expose the reader to the truths about shelters and how they operate.
Intended audience
The intended audience is anyone looking for information concerning shelters.
Summary:
Identify the author’s thesis
The author focuses on the dilemmas facing state and local officials and how they deal with animal control problems of an urban environment.
What are the main arguments?
Neglect, indifference and low resources make the most severe impact on animal control. The author also compares the intentions of private versus public shelters as well as their financial restraints and other setbacks they both face.
Evidence?
The author proposes the idea that animal adoption rates are controlled by supply and demand. Although the animal population heavily outweighs the human population, less dogs are being adopted. The author also says that spaying/neutering is a good solution. However, it needs to happen before the dogs reach 3 years of age. 75-80% of all female dogs must be neutered before they turn three. However, this program would be extremely costly as each surgery costs about $35-50.
There is a cycle that goes through the public and private adoption agencies. Public agencies have a very low threshold as well as low financial resources. So, more dog owners relinquish their dogs to private facilities. However, this puts a burden on the private facility, which may force them to lower their threshold.
Evaluation
Evaluation of research
The work goes through the pros and cons of private and public agencies. It also looks at weighs the disadvantages of many other suggested solutions against their advantages.
Evaluation of scope
The topic was focused on comparing private versus public adoption facilities and their available resources.
Evaluation of author bias
The information provided by the author is biased. Vaughn believes that the answer to the overpopulation problem is to have stricter laws. She thinks that there is not enough supervision on most adoption facilities, and believes that the conditions of such facilities should be monitored. She also stresses that awareness is key.
Reflection
Is this source helpful to your research?
This source is helpful to my research because it provided with me with another view of shelters and how even they are contributing to the overpopulation issue.
Annotated Bibliography 8 Citation
Spears, Brian. "Pet overpopulation: the problem multiplies." E: the Environmental Magazine 6 (Sept.-Oct. 1995): 32. Wilson OmniFile Full Text Mega Edition. Web. 24 Oct. 2011. <http://vnweb.hwwilsonweb.com/hww/results/getResults.jhtml?_DARGS=/hww/results/results_common.jhtml.35>
Author’s credentials
Brian Spears has written multiple articles for E: the Environmental Magazine.
Scope and purpose of the work
The purpose of the work is to argue that the lack of sterilization of pets is the primary reason for overpopulation.
Intended audience
The intended audience would be anyone interested in animal welfare, as it is featured in a environmental journal.
Summary:
Identify the author’s thesis.
The author believes that sterilizing pets is the key to beating overpopulation.
What are the main arguments?
His first argument is that most pet owners have a “commitment issue,” meaning that they won’t sterilize their pets because they see them as disposable. The author also argues that it is important that laws are enforced. He includes that thirteen states have already made sterilization mandatory.
Evidence?
Arizona, Florida, Illinois, Louisiana, Missouri, North Dakota, Oklahoma and Texas are 8 states out of the 13 that make it a violation not to spay/neuter dogs/cats adopted out of a shelter. Over 3,000 shelters are filled to capacity. 25-35% of shelters animals are adopted out, over 50% are euthanized.
Evaluation
Evaluation of research
The work is logical, clear, and well-researched.
Evaluation of scope
The topic was focused on arguing that sterilization, conscious pet owners, and strict laws are key to overcoming overpopulation.
Evaluation of author bias
The information provided by the author was pro-sterilization.
Reflection
Is this source helpful to your research?
This source was helpful to my research because it gave me a perspective of how many animals are adopted and euthanized each year. It also provided me with information pertaining to which states make it mandatory to spay/neuter a cat/dog after it is adopted.
Annotated Bibliography 9
CitationCooper, Mary H. "America's Pampered Pets." CQ Researcher Online. N.p., 27 Dec. 1996. Web. 24 Oct. 2011. [[http://library.cqpress.com/cqresearcher/ document.php?id=cqresrre1996122700&type=hitlist&num=0|http://library.cqpress.com/cqresearcher/ document.php?id=cqresrre1996122700&type=hitlist&num=0]].
Author’s credentials
The author seems to be very knowledgeable about the various sub-topics of animal welfare, overpopulation and rights.
Scope and purpose of the work
It is an informational overview of animal companionship, population, adoption, euthanization, and laws.
Intended audience
The intended audience would be students or teachers, as the purpose is to be informative about the aforementioned topics.
Summary:
Identify the author’s thesis.
“Nearly six out of 10 U.S. households own a pet, and while cats and dogs are still the most popular animal companions… animal shelters still euthanize millions of “throw-away” pets each year. Meanwhile, local officials are worried about controlling vicious dogs…”
What are the main arguments?
The main arguments are that many pet sales are due to impulse buys because many consumers underestimate the time and effort it takes to raise an animal. The author also mentions a few reasons that dogs/cats get euthanized, including temperament. However, she stresses that the dogs aren’t the ones who are “vicious,” but it’s the owners who make them that way.
Evidence?
Cooper cites multiple sources including the ASPCA, the AKC, multiple other articles, authors, veterinarians, case studies and includes many real-world examples that relate to the topic.
Evaluation
Evaluation of research
The work is logical, clear, and in depth.
Evaluation of scope
As it is a lengthy article, there wasn’t a single focus. The article spread from spay/neuter campaigns, to show dogs, to the debate over dangerous dogs.
Evaluation of author bias
The author was pro-consumer education, and primarily pro-animal rights. However, she argued for the rights of breeders that are not simply breeding for profit.
Reflection
Is this source helpful to your research?
This source was extremely helpful as it provided many real-world examples, valuable refrences and many statistics that will be useful in my presentation.
Annotated Bibliography 10
Citation
Cooper, Mary H. "America's Pampered Pets." CQ Researcher Online. N.p., 27 Dec. 1996. Web. 24 Oct. 2011. [[http://library.cqpress.com/cqresearcher/ document.php?id=cqresrre1996122700&type=hitlist&num=0|http://library.cqpress.com/cqresearcher/ document.php?id=cqresrre1996122700&type=hitlist&num=0]].Author’s credentials
The author seems to be very knowledgeable about the various sub-topics of animal welfare, overpopulation and rights.
Scope and purpose of the work
It is a section of the article focused on spay-neuter and adoption campaigns.
Intended audience
The intended audience would be students or teachers, as the purpose is to be informative about the aforementioned topics.
Summary:
Identify the author’s thesis.
Animal welfare groups strongly advise pet owners to neuter animals before they reproduce. Adoption campaigns also seem to be bringing positive results.
What are the main arguments?
Spaying and neutering creates less animals, thus allowing more homes for the animals that are available today. The number of animals that are euthanized has decreased by half over the past two decades.
Evidence?
Neutering brings on a positive behavior change. Many cities provide the incentive of cheap licensing for neutered pets.
Successful adoption campaigns are due to consumer education efforts, responsible ownership, spaying and neutering effots, and aggressive adoption policies.
Evaluation
Evaluation of research
The work is logical, clear, and in depth.
Evaluation of scope
This section of the article was focused on the benefits that can be gained from adopting and spaying/neutering.
Evaluation of author bias
The author was pro-consumer education, and primarily pro-animal rights. However, she argued for the rights of breeders that are not simply breeding for profit.
Reflection
Is this source helpful to your research?
This source was extremely helpful as it provided many real-world examples, valuable refrences and many statistics that will be useful in my presentation.